Spring-counterbalance for the rams of boring-mills.



F. F. CLARKE.

SPRING COUNTERBALANCE FOR THE RAMS 0F BORING MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0. I9I4.

E E H A S T E E H S 3 Rm 1 9 1 0 3 W M M LL m M P INVENTOR FREDERICK F: CLARKE WITNESSES ATTORN EV F. F. CLARKE. I SPRING COUNTERBALANCE FOR THE RAMS'OF BORING MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. 1914.

3 SH EETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES mvsiwi? m FPEDERIGKE CLARKE my BY ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c

F. F. CLARKE.

SPRING COUNTERBALANCE FOR THE RAMS 0F BORING MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 914.

Patented May 30, 1916.

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3 SHEETSSHEET 3- v WITNESSES FREDERICK F: GLARKE tlTTEl) T TT 1f) FREDERICK F. CLARKE, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OOLBURN MACHINE TOOL COMPANY, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed February 10, 1914. Serial No. 817,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK F. CLARKE, citizen of the United States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Counterbalances for the Rams of BoringMills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boring mills, and more especially to an improved counterbalance for the ram of a boring mill.

The particular object, construction, and application and utility of my invention are herein set forthwith sufficient clearness to enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a spring counterbalance for the ram of a boring mill, which will not only counterbalance said ram, thus rendering the same easy of vertical or longitudinal adjustment and manipulation, but will also dispense with the cumbersome, inconvenient and eX- pensive counterweights heretofore employed for such purpose, together with the connections, supports, pulleys and cables or chains which their employment necessitates.

The construction and application of my improved spring counterbalance are clearly shown in the drawings which form a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one end of the cross-rail of a boring mill, showing a head mounted thereon, which head comprises a saddle, a swivel and a ram 0r tool-bar which is mounted in said swivel, to which ram or tool-bar is applied my improved spring counterbalance. Fig. 2 is a section on line I1II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section upon substantially the same line upon which Fig. 2 is taken, and in this view my counterbalance and its cooperating elements only, are shown in full lines for the purpose of more distinctly and concisely pointing out my invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, upon substantially the same line II-II of Fig 1, showing a head which does not employ the swivel element, the ram being mounted directly in the saddle, since my improved counterbalance is equally applicable to either form of head.

The construction of my improved counterbalance, as illustrated in said drawings, is substantially as follows:

The ram or tool-bar 1 of a boring mill may be mounted either in the swivel 2 of the head, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or mounted directly in the saddle as shown in Fig 4:. The vertical feed or adjustment of said ram 1 is accomplished by means of certam gearing, which comprises a rack 3, secured to or formed upon one side of said ram and a pinion 4 which meshes with said rack. Said pinion 4 is mounted upon and keyed to a shaft 5 that passes revolubly through said swivel 2 or the saddle 10, and keyed to the rear end of said shaft is a wormwheel 6 which is arranged to be revolved by the worm 7. Said worm 7 is slidingly but nonrevolubly mounted upon the shaft 8, and is caused to slide upon or move longitudinally of said shaft bymeans of the brackets 99,' which are secured to the said saddle 10 of the boring mill. Shaft 8 is usually adapted and arranged to be both power and manually revolved, and for the purpose of such manual actuation, the outer end 11 of said shaft 8 is adapted for the application of a crank 11, which is preferably the automatically-releasing crank shown and described in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed June 25, 1913, Serial No. 775,757. By means of this gearing and its equipment thus far described, the ram 1 may be fed to its work, raised, lowered, and adjusted vertically, but because of the weight of said ram, it is desirable and necessary for ease and convenience, and accuracy of operation, to counterbalance the same, and this has heretofore usually been accomplished by means of a counterweight, which is more or less cumbersome, occupies considerable room and in some cases requires a special preparation of the foundation for the machine, in respect to providing room below the fioor-line for the reception of said weight. In the place of such counterweight, 1 substitute a spiral spring 12 for which 1 provide a case or barrel 13, which is revolublymounted within the swivel 2 or the saddle 10. The outer end of said spring is secured to the wall of said barrel 13 by means of the pin 14, and the inner end of said spring is secured to shaft 15 which passes through the spring, which shaft is provided at either end with bearings within said swivel or saddle, as the case maybe. Formed'integrallyrwith said barrel 13 is a sleeve 16, through which shaft 15 passes revolubly, and upon which sleeve is mounted and keyed a pinion 17. It will thus be noted that said barrel is revoluble upon said shaft 15 and that pinion 17 is revoluble with and rigidly affixed to said barrel. Meshing with said pinion 17 is an intermediate. pinion 18, which, in turn, meshes with said pinion 4, which, as previously stated, is keyed to the shaft and meshes with the rack 3. To the outer end of shaft is keyed a ratchet-wheel 19, for which an engaging-pawl 20 (see Fig- 1), is provided.

.h'ormed integrally with said ratchet-wheel 19 is a hexagonal sleeve 21, to which a key, or other suitable device, such as a wrench, or crank,may be applied for the purpose-of revolving said wheel and the thereto-keyed shaft 15 whereby the desired counterbalancing-tension or recoiling-force of spring 12 is produced. When such proper tension has been secured, shaft 15 and ratchet 19 are retained inthe stationary position by means of said pawl 20, and as ram 1 is moved vertically, barrel 13 is caused to revolve and thus to wind up and unwind said spring 12.

i F romthe above explanation, it will readily be understood that the weight of the ram 1 is counterbalanced by the recoil-force or potential energy of the spring 12, and thus a vertical movement of said rain may be easily accomplished through the actuationinanual or otherwiseof shaft 8, and not only this, but in addition thereto, working-adjustments of said ram are much more easily and certainly maintained when the rain is thus balanced. I claim:

In a boring mill, in combination, a saddle, a swivel mounted upon said saddle, a rain mounted in said swivel and movable vertically or longitudinally therein and provided with a rack, a pinionarranged in mesh with said rack operable to cause said vertical or longitudinal movement of said rain, a spiral spring also mounted in said swivel, a springpinion to which said spring is operably connected, and'means operably connecting said spring-pinion to said rack-engaging pinion for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. FREDERICK F. CLARKE. 1 Witnesses:

MARY B. ECKERT, BRYAN I-I. OSBORNE.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. 0. 

